Editor:

A calculation of CMHA fees and ice costs showed that the actual cost of having a female division within CMHA exceeded the revenue collected from them over the last five years. CMHA pursued this unsustainable practice in order to promote female hockey in Chilliwack.

One of the goals of CMHA is to maintain current programs while promoting the growth of female membership. Even after CMHA charges players in the allfemale teams the fees set out in May 2011 on the fee sheet during registration, the other players will continue to subsidize the female division.

CMHA could justify offering a team in each female level only by charging these extra fees.

Several factors make playing in the female division more expensive. They have small teams. Small teams cost more per player to run than large teams. They have only one team at each level. It costs less per team when local teams play each other.

Volunteers operating a minor hockey association face many challenges. However, the CMHA board is committed to avoiding future conflict and improving female hockey in our community. To that end, the CMHA board of directors struck a committee to improve the female hockey program, increase membership and seek viable solutions to reduce fees, and invited all members to participate.

Stacy Crowhurst, female director Chilliwack Minor Hockey Association